Healo Wins at UNDP National Innovation Challenge 2025
Discover how Healo by Infiheal earned recognition at the UNDP National Innovation Challenge 2025 for advancing accessible mental healthcare.
About the Programme
Co-led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Citi Foundation, and organised together with the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and implemented by AssisTech Foundation, the Youth Co:Lab National Innovation Challenge has become one of India's most credible platforms for empowering youth-led innovation aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
This edition brought together 18 youth-led startups, selected from more than 200 applicants nationwide, for a five-day residential bootcamp at IIIT Bangalore focused on mentorship, technical guidance, and refining high-impact solutions. The seventh edition specifically focused on empowering young innovators building for persons with disabilities, across three key categories: Inclusive and Accessible Assistive Technology, Inclusive Educational Technology and Skilling Solutions, and Accessible and Inclusive Care Models.
Each winning startup received tailored seed support of INR 3,00,000 along with capacity-building opportunities. Winners were felicitated by Amit Kumar, Head of Sustainable Inclusive Growth at UNDP India, and Prateek Madhav, CEO and Co-Founder of AssisTech Foundation, with a special address delivered virtually by Manmeet Nanda, Additional Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.
Why Healo Was Recognised
Mental healthcare for caregivers of persons with disabilities is one of the most consistently overlooked areas in both health policy and digital health innovation. Caregiving is demanding, often invisible work, and the emotional toll it takes rarely gets the same attention as the needs of the person being cared for. Healo's selection in this challenge reflects a recognition that inclusive mental healthcare means reaching caregivers too, not just as a secondary benefit, but as a primary goal.
Dr. Angela Lusigi, Resident Representative, UNDP India, noted: "Since 2019, Youth Co: Lab has grown into a pan-India movement, empowering over 250 youth-led ventures from every region of the country." Being named among the top six from that pipeline is a meaningful signal of both the quality of Healo's solution and the relevance of its mission.
Rooted in Infiheal's Broader Mission
Founded by Srishti Srivastava and Utkarsh Srivastava, Infiheal has consistently built toward a future where accessible AI mental healthcare is not defined by who can afford it, but by who needs it. Recognition from a UN-backed programme dedicated to disability inclusion and the SDGs affirms that Healo's approach, clinically grounded, culturally sensitive, and designed for underserved communities, is exactly the kind of responsible AI innovation the development sector is looking to support and scale.
🔗 Featured In:
UNDP
More about Healo can be learnt here: https://infiheal.com/ai-mental-health-chatbot
Read more about Youth Colab here: https://www.undp.org/india/projects/youth-colab-india
